Vicki Ann Cremona | University of Malta (original) (raw)
Papers by Vicki Ann Cremona
Routledge eBooks, Jul 18, 2023
Routledge eBooks, Jul 18, 2023
Journal of Mediterranean studies, 1998
Abstract: The paper proposes to to establish the basis for dialogue between archaeologists, herit... more Abstract: The paper proposes to to establish the basis for dialogue between archaeologists, heritage site managers and theatre makers to provide new relevance to ancient sites through performance. It shows how animation may be used as a means to bridge the difference between archeological concerns and public interest, and how because of the particular nature of the site, performacne should not be plied to commoditization, but should seek to contextualise the site within a contemporary way of life.
Národní památkový ústav, územní odborné pracoviště v Českých Budějovicích, 2011
New Theatre Quarterly, 2022
The recent barbaric murder of an investigative journalist in Malta who was looking into corruptio... more The recent barbaric murder of an investigative journalist in Malta who was looking into corruption at the top echelons of power sparked off a civil society movement, Repubblika, spurring ordinary citizens into participating in collective protest action. The movement also incorporated a loose grouping of women calling themselves ‘Occupy Justice’. Different forms of protest against government corruption have resulted in the resignation of various senior politicians and high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister. Taking as a point of departure the struggle against the unequal distribution of power as defined by Michel Foucault and Jacques Rancière, the empowering force of civil protest is here examined in relation to how power is appropriated and how institutional power is resisted. Micromobilization and mesomobilization are seen as two means of staging protest and creating a common force with which to confront corrupt power structures. Protest, power, and resistance are view...
Nordic Theatre Studies
This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particular... more This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particularly through his performance Yahia-Yaïh-Amnesia. It uses Michel DeCerteau's conceptof 'tactic' and 'strategy' from his book, The Practice of Everyday Life, as a framework for analysisin order to show how Jaibi used performance as his tactic to oppose the regime's strategies inpre-revolutionary Tunisia, creating thereby a poetics of confrontation to challenge both theregime and the people who were subjected to it. It shows how Jaibi constructed the elementsunderpinning his poetic sof performance by fusing the texts produced by Jalila Baccar with thephysical work of the actors, playing particularly on rhythms of speech, action and sound. Itexplains how Jaibi integrated these elements into a politics of confrontation which includedthe audience. It discusses how, through his artistic work, Jaibi obliged the audience to confrontthe prevailing repressive reality as well a...
Nordic Theatre Studies
This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particular... more This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particularly through his performance Yahia-Yaïh-Amnesia. It uses Michel DeCerteau's conceptof 'tactic' and 'strategy' from his book, The Practice of Everyday Life, as a framework for analysisin order to show how Jaibi used performance as his tactic to oppose the regime's strategies inpre-revolutionary Tunisia, creating thereby a poetics of confrontation to challenge both theregime and the people who were subjected to it. It shows how Jaibi constructed the elementsunderpinning his poetic sof performance by fusing the texts produced by Jalila Baccar with thephysical work of the actors, playing particularly on rhythms of speech, action and sound. Itexplains how Jaibi integrated these elements into a politics of confrontation which includedthe audience. It discusses how, through his artistic work, Jaibi obliged the audience to confrontthe prevailing repressive reality as well a...
Playing Culture, 2014
The Maltese festa - the celebration of individual Patron Saints in different villages and towns -... more The Maltese festa - the celebration of individual Patron Saints in different villages and towns - constitutes one of the main highlights of the communal life of Maltese inhabited centres. Not all communities celebrate their festa with the same intensity, but within each community there is a core group of people for whom the festivity constitutes a basic factor in their raison d'etre. Within the context of playing culture the festa, a large-scale ceremonial spectacle, may be seen as a theatrical experience which spans the liminal area between theatre and ritual. This communal celebration is a form of cultural playing, where the cultural limits of play spill over into the religious domain. Through the playful qualities of this event, the festive 'staging' of religious symbols becomes the expression of identity of a small, tightly-knit community.The festa gives rise to a whole series of activities both indoors and out, which produce the spectacular effects that it is immediately associated with in the minds of one and all. It is composed of celebrations within the church which reach their climax in a solemn mass in the saint's honour and the final closing ceremony, as well as various festivities in the streets, which culminate in a solemn religious procession, and register a high affluence of people from the area and beyond. People who no longer frequent the church, or do so less regularly than in the past, still make it a point to 'go to the festa' and participate in its different manifestations. Outdoor celebration has grown considerably both in importance and dimension, as people abandon religious ritualistic celebration and turn more and more to public manifestations where altered behaviour, although not always publicly approved, is more or less tolerated. The main religious element linking church and street is the patron saint, as all forms of celebration are held in his/her name and dedicated to him/her. Symbolically, the saint denotes and reaffirms the community's distinctiveness, and in spite of the fact that religious fervour is on the wane, the festa is still a focal point of Maltese community life, precisely because its significance is firmly anchored within the community's social expression.Who is the actor and who is the spectator in a playing culture such as the festa, and how is his/her role defined? Willmar Sauter, who coined the term, defines a playing culture as a 'radical extension of the term "theatre"' and states that in this framework, the concept of theatre 'includes a wide range of cultural performances' (2004: 13). When Milton Singer first created the term 'Cultural performances', he was referring to things that 'we usually classify under religion and ritual rather than with the cultural and artistic'. Among the examples of cultural performances he lists: 'prayers, ritual readings and recitations, rites and ceremonies, festivals' (1972: 71). Although as in the case of the first three, these 'performances' can be carried out alone, they acquire a deeper dimension when performed within a group context. The connection between the religious and the performative indicates that cultural performance deals with public acts which are accomplished not only through the presence of persons doing the actions, but also through that of persons watching them. The link with 'playing culture' brings these acts into the liminal zone of social and performative action. This ambiguous cultural dimension is further reinforced by the concept of 'play'. A playing culture bears within itself characteristics of play that are embedded in a specific cultural context. Andreas Kotte underlines the importance of the relationship among the participants in play: 'From the very beginning, the relationship between actors and spectators has been central to the idea of play' (2010: 19).Playing is very serious business. The players invest their time and energy into playing, and through play, reveal something about themselves: personal skills, relations and attitudes as well as creative abilities, imagination and in certain circumstances, rigour in the way play is conducted. …
Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 2017
This article describes a personal journey into the International School of Theatre Anthropology (... more This article describes a personal journey into the International School of Theatre Anthropology (ISTA) during its fifteenth session in Albino in April 2016. It reflects upon the common elements underlying the different approaches to training in the different traditions that were represented by actors who are considered as ‘masters’ in their specific art forms. It highlights different techniques from both the West and Asia that were demonstrated and discussed. It takes a look at daily life during ISTA, as well as the training that the participants were asked to undergo.
Studies in Costume & Performance, 2016
This article deals with the range and evolution of costume in organized and spontaneous carnivals... more This article deals with the range and evolution of costume in organized and spontaneous carnivals in Malta during the British colonial period (1800–1964). It discusses the performative qualities of carnival costume. The article also delves into the type of connections that can be made between costume, social stratification and political power in particular periods of Maltese colonial history. It shows how costume revealed social aspiration or recognition in certain contexts, while also providing a means to play with identity and dissimulation in others. It examines how control and power were affirmed on a micrological level through choice of costume, especially when the latter became subject to prohibition.
Our idea was to create an in-depth study to evaluate the state of every theatre building in Malta... more Our idea was to create an in-depth study to evaluate the state of every theatre building in Malta and Gozo, irrespective of whether this was functioning or not, or whether it was a community theatre or in a school building. The study was to supply detailed information about the main characteristics of every theatre building that would be of general interest, and of particular use to anyone wishing to perform there, as well as a preliminary appraisal of the actual building itself. [excerpt from the Introduction]peer-reviewe
Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 2018
Cultural mapping involves the identification and classification of cultural spaces, activities, a... more Cultural mapping involves the identification and classification of cultural spaces, activities, and resources. First launched in Britain in the late 1990s, it was described as ‗shorthand for a whole series of analytic methods for collecting and presenting information on the range and scope of the creative industries' (BOP Consulting 2010: 11). 1 This methodology is a useful means of visualising and communicating the cultural assets of a particular area and is considered a useful tool for cultural planning and policy-making, although it is acknowledged that arts and culture present a more complex picture than is captured through this type of exercise (Deveau & Goodrum 2015: 64). Cultural mapping uses both qualitative and quantitative methods of assessment to identify and describe local resources, in order to ensure the inclusion of all sectors of the community (Bianchini, Ghilardi 2007: 281). In recent years, it has been adopted in Malta in order to satisfy the demand, from within the cultural sector, for an informed framework in planning arts and cultural facilities on the national level. It is also intended to reflect the local councils' contribution to the sector. In 2012, Valletta was awarded the title of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) 2018. The bid was backed by all of the 68 local councils in Malta and Gozo. Although the European Union has no official policy for culture, it has various cultural programmes; the former ‗Cities of Culture' programme, now ECoC, is specifically designed to enhance cultural development (Evans, Foord 1999: 55). Following the title award, the Valletta 2018 Foundation was tasked with formulating the bid and is now responsible for the implementation of the programme. The Foundation commissioned a cultural map in view of the lack of information concerning the location of cultural spaces in the Maltese Islands and how these are used. This task became the basis for research collaboration between the Foundation and the University of Malta and was supported by the Ministry responsible for Culture. A Cultural Mapping Working Group, in collaboration with the University of Malta was set up, involving academics from the disciplines of anthropology, the built environment, economics, education, public policy, sociology, history and the performing arts. A project was developed to analyse the use of public spaces for cultural purposes in Malta and Gozo. Space in this context was given a wide definition that included ‗all spaces across the Maltese islands which are used for cultural purposes, ranging from established cultural venues (such as museums, theatres and heritage sites) to public and open spaces' comprising streets and squares which are used for community or national celebrations. 2 A series of maps cataloguing most of these cultural public spaces that are used for cultural purposes was drawn up. These maps, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, have been compiled
Routledge eBooks, Jul 18, 2023
Routledge eBooks, Jul 18, 2023
Journal of Mediterranean studies, 1998
Abstract: The paper proposes to to establish the basis for dialogue between archaeologists, herit... more Abstract: The paper proposes to to establish the basis for dialogue between archaeologists, heritage site managers and theatre makers to provide new relevance to ancient sites through performance. It shows how animation may be used as a means to bridge the difference between archeological concerns and public interest, and how because of the particular nature of the site, performacne should not be plied to commoditization, but should seek to contextualise the site within a contemporary way of life.
Národní památkový ústav, územní odborné pracoviště v Českých Budějovicích, 2011
New Theatre Quarterly, 2022
The recent barbaric murder of an investigative journalist in Malta who was looking into corruptio... more The recent barbaric murder of an investigative journalist in Malta who was looking into corruption at the top echelons of power sparked off a civil society movement, Repubblika, spurring ordinary citizens into participating in collective protest action. The movement also incorporated a loose grouping of women calling themselves ‘Occupy Justice’. Different forms of protest against government corruption have resulted in the resignation of various senior politicians and high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister. Taking as a point of departure the struggle against the unequal distribution of power as defined by Michel Foucault and Jacques Rancière, the empowering force of civil protest is here examined in relation to how power is appropriated and how institutional power is resisted. Micromobilization and mesomobilization are seen as two means of staging protest and creating a common force with which to confront corrupt power structures. Protest, power, and resistance are view...
Nordic Theatre Studies
This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particular... more This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particularly through his performance Yahia-Yaïh-Amnesia. It uses Michel DeCerteau's conceptof 'tactic' and 'strategy' from his book, The Practice of Everyday Life, as a framework for analysisin order to show how Jaibi used performance as his tactic to oppose the regime's strategies inpre-revolutionary Tunisia, creating thereby a poetics of confrontation to challenge both theregime and the people who were subjected to it. It shows how Jaibi constructed the elementsunderpinning his poetic sof performance by fusing the texts produced by Jalila Baccar with thephysical work of the actors, playing particularly on rhythms of speech, action and sound. Itexplains how Jaibi integrated these elements into a politics of confrontation which includedthe audience. It discusses how, through his artistic work, Jaibi obliged the audience to confrontthe prevailing repressive reality as well a...
Nordic Theatre Studies
This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particular... more This paper analyses the poetics of confrontation used by theatre director Fadhel Jaibi,particularly through his performance Yahia-Yaïh-Amnesia. It uses Michel DeCerteau's conceptof 'tactic' and 'strategy' from his book, The Practice of Everyday Life, as a framework for analysisin order to show how Jaibi used performance as his tactic to oppose the regime's strategies inpre-revolutionary Tunisia, creating thereby a poetics of confrontation to challenge both theregime and the people who were subjected to it. It shows how Jaibi constructed the elementsunderpinning his poetic sof performance by fusing the texts produced by Jalila Baccar with thephysical work of the actors, playing particularly on rhythms of speech, action and sound. Itexplains how Jaibi integrated these elements into a politics of confrontation which includedthe audience. It discusses how, through his artistic work, Jaibi obliged the audience to confrontthe prevailing repressive reality as well a...
Playing Culture, 2014
The Maltese festa - the celebration of individual Patron Saints in different villages and towns -... more The Maltese festa - the celebration of individual Patron Saints in different villages and towns - constitutes one of the main highlights of the communal life of Maltese inhabited centres. Not all communities celebrate their festa with the same intensity, but within each community there is a core group of people for whom the festivity constitutes a basic factor in their raison d'etre. Within the context of playing culture the festa, a large-scale ceremonial spectacle, may be seen as a theatrical experience which spans the liminal area between theatre and ritual. This communal celebration is a form of cultural playing, where the cultural limits of play spill over into the religious domain. Through the playful qualities of this event, the festive 'staging' of religious symbols becomes the expression of identity of a small, tightly-knit community.The festa gives rise to a whole series of activities both indoors and out, which produce the spectacular effects that it is immediately associated with in the minds of one and all. It is composed of celebrations within the church which reach their climax in a solemn mass in the saint's honour and the final closing ceremony, as well as various festivities in the streets, which culminate in a solemn religious procession, and register a high affluence of people from the area and beyond. People who no longer frequent the church, or do so less regularly than in the past, still make it a point to 'go to the festa' and participate in its different manifestations. Outdoor celebration has grown considerably both in importance and dimension, as people abandon religious ritualistic celebration and turn more and more to public manifestations where altered behaviour, although not always publicly approved, is more or less tolerated. The main religious element linking church and street is the patron saint, as all forms of celebration are held in his/her name and dedicated to him/her. Symbolically, the saint denotes and reaffirms the community's distinctiveness, and in spite of the fact that religious fervour is on the wane, the festa is still a focal point of Maltese community life, precisely because its significance is firmly anchored within the community's social expression.Who is the actor and who is the spectator in a playing culture such as the festa, and how is his/her role defined? Willmar Sauter, who coined the term, defines a playing culture as a 'radical extension of the term "theatre"' and states that in this framework, the concept of theatre 'includes a wide range of cultural performances' (2004: 13). When Milton Singer first created the term 'Cultural performances', he was referring to things that 'we usually classify under religion and ritual rather than with the cultural and artistic'. Among the examples of cultural performances he lists: 'prayers, ritual readings and recitations, rites and ceremonies, festivals' (1972: 71). Although as in the case of the first three, these 'performances' can be carried out alone, they acquire a deeper dimension when performed within a group context. The connection between the religious and the performative indicates that cultural performance deals with public acts which are accomplished not only through the presence of persons doing the actions, but also through that of persons watching them. The link with 'playing culture' brings these acts into the liminal zone of social and performative action. This ambiguous cultural dimension is further reinforced by the concept of 'play'. A playing culture bears within itself characteristics of play that are embedded in a specific cultural context. Andreas Kotte underlines the importance of the relationship among the participants in play: 'From the very beginning, the relationship between actors and spectators has been central to the idea of play' (2010: 19).Playing is very serious business. The players invest their time and energy into playing, and through play, reveal something about themselves: personal skills, relations and attitudes as well as creative abilities, imagination and in certain circumstances, rigour in the way play is conducted. …
Theatre, Dance and Performance Training, 2017
This article describes a personal journey into the International School of Theatre Anthropology (... more This article describes a personal journey into the International School of Theatre Anthropology (ISTA) during its fifteenth session in Albino in April 2016. It reflects upon the common elements underlying the different approaches to training in the different traditions that were represented by actors who are considered as ‘masters’ in their specific art forms. It highlights different techniques from both the West and Asia that were demonstrated and discussed. It takes a look at daily life during ISTA, as well as the training that the participants were asked to undergo.
Studies in Costume & Performance, 2016
This article deals with the range and evolution of costume in organized and spontaneous carnivals... more This article deals with the range and evolution of costume in organized and spontaneous carnivals in Malta during the British colonial period (1800–1964). It discusses the performative qualities of carnival costume. The article also delves into the type of connections that can be made between costume, social stratification and political power in particular periods of Maltese colonial history. It shows how costume revealed social aspiration or recognition in certain contexts, while also providing a means to play with identity and dissimulation in others. It examines how control and power were affirmed on a micrological level through choice of costume, especially when the latter became subject to prohibition.
Our idea was to create an in-depth study to evaluate the state of every theatre building in Malta... more Our idea was to create an in-depth study to evaluate the state of every theatre building in Malta and Gozo, irrespective of whether this was functioning or not, or whether it was a community theatre or in a school building. The study was to supply detailed information about the main characteristics of every theatre building that would be of general interest, and of particular use to anyone wishing to perform there, as well as a preliminary appraisal of the actual building itself. [excerpt from the Introduction]peer-reviewe
Journal of Mediterranean Studies, 2018
Cultural mapping involves the identification and classification of cultural spaces, activities, a... more Cultural mapping involves the identification and classification of cultural spaces, activities, and resources. First launched in Britain in the late 1990s, it was described as ‗shorthand for a whole series of analytic methods for collecting and presenting information on the range and scope of the creative industries' (BOP Consulting 2010: 11). 1 This methodology is a useful means of visualising and communicating the cultural assets of a particular area and is considered a useful tool for cultural planning and policy-making, although it is acknowledged that arts and culture present a more complex picture than is captured through this type of exercise (Deveau & Goodrum 2015: 64). Cultural mapping uses both qualitative and quantitative methods of assessment to identify and describe local resources, in order to ensure the inclusion of all sectors of the community (Bianchini, Ghilardi 2007: 281). In recent years, it has been adopted in Malta in order to satisfy the demand, from within the cultural sector, for an informed framework in planning arts and cultural facilities on the national level. It is also intended to reflect the local councils' contribution to the sector. In 2012, Valletta was awarded the title of the European Capital of Culture (ECoC) 2018. The bid was backed by all of the 68 local councils in Malta and Gozo. Although the European Union has no official policy for culture, it has various cultural programmes; the former ‗Cities of Culture' programme, now ECoC, is specifically designed to enhance cultural development (Evans, Foord 1999: 55). Following the title award, the Valletta 2018 Foundation was tasked with formulating the bid and is now responsible for the implementation of the programme. The Foundation commissioned a cultural map in view of the lack of information concerning the location of cultural spaces in the Maltese Islands and how these are used. This task became the basis for research collaboration between the Foundation and the University of Malta and was supported by the Ministry responsible for Culture. A Cultural Mapping Working Group, in collaboration with the University of Malta was set up, involving academics from the disciplines of anthropology, the built environment, economics, education, public policy, sociology, history and the performing arts. A project was developed to analyse the use of public spaces for cultural purposes in Malta and Gozo. Space in this context was given a wide definition that included ‗all spaces across the Maltese islands which are used for cultural purposes, ranging from established cultural venues (such as museums, theatres and heritage sites) to public and open spaces' comprising streets and squares which are used for community or national celebrations. 2 A series of maps cataloguing most of these cultural public spaces that are used for cultural purposes was drawn up. These maps, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology, have been compiled